Allison and Matt Robicelli are authors of “Robicelli's: A Love Story, with Cupcakes.”

Long before they married, Allison and Matt Robicelli's first date was an all-nighter. There wasn't any hanky-panky, just beer and cookbooks. Nine years later, the couple have two kids and their very own cookbook, "Robicelli's: A Love Story, with Cupcakes" ($35, Viking Studio).

Sassy and spirited, their new book takes readers along on the roller coaster ride of new parents and business owners following a dream. Through it all one thing is clear: They take their baking seriously, not themselves.

Offering detailed recipes in laymen's terms, these are recipes to inspire baking confidence. Operating their new Bay Ridge bakery, they realize that not everyone will be coming to Brooklyn. So as not to leave anyone out of the deliciousness, the cookbook features 50 of their most decadent recipes.

These aren't just any cupcakes. No sprinkles or fluorescent colors here. These are cupcakes for grown-ups. Flavor combinations include the Car Bomb with Guinness stout and a Jameson Whiskey ganache, pumpkin spice latte, crème brûlée, a rum-filled Coquito, a boozy Fruitcake and The Julia, a pear cake with brandy snaps.

Inspired by Ebinger's, a long-gone neighborhood bakery, the couple created their own homage to the famous Brooklyn Blackout Cake. Talking with Allison by phone, we learned about the new book and why French buttercream is a worthy indulgence.

Q. You started brainstorming flavors and things to cook together on your very first date?

A. We actually never intended to start a cupcake company, but that's how we clicked. We started writing recipes together right away for all sorts of stuff. I realized right away, "This is my kitchen soul mate!"

We never talked about dating. He came back to my apartment, and we read cookbooks till maybe 9 a.m. We ended up on the phone every night talking about food and things we wanted to make. Then we baked a little together, and we realized we were crazy about (one) another...

The book tells the story. This is our story of finding our place in the world and the American dream.

Q. How did a carrot cake launch your American dream?

A. It was the thing that started us. Long before I had my first professional job, I was just cooking out of my parents' house. Years ago, there was a bar around the corner, and it was an old man bar with burgers, beer. I would make these carrot cakes, and they'd serve them.

One day this guy at the bar said, "I miss that carrot cake." Someone replied, "They have a shop now (the Robicellis had a deli at the time). I don't think they make the cake anymore, but that's where you can find her." I had a 6-week-old and an 18-month-old. I wasn't baking. I wasn't going to cook any more. (The guy from the bar) asked me, and he goes back way in the day. And, we need the money. Then he came in the next week and asked for another....What's the one thing we have that nobody else has? That carrot cake. Good, let's sell 40 cakes a day. No, let's make 24 cupcakes a week, and tell the guys at the bar the cake is here. Then my husband says, "I was a pastry chef, and I can bake, too," and we'd have arguments about whose cupcakes were better.

The business grew so quickly. We expected to make two dozen, four dozen. Within weeks we were called the best cupcake in New York City.

Q. Why do you make such a push for French buttercream?

A. We hadn't really eaten a lot of cupcakes to that point. It was so silly. I had one, the cake was dry, the frosting was bad and people were eating it because it was a novelty.

Why can't people just make good cake? Let's just use French buttercream but make the cakes small. This is not revolutionary. This is just doing our job. People were coming from all over the tri-state area. I had no idea. We never understood cupcakes, but that was the a-ha moment.

People had never tasted cake like this, because what they were used to was flavorings.

Q. Why choose a comic book format to share your French buttercream recipe?

A. I wanted to make sure people were paying attention. Our cakes are good, our candies are good, but the buttercream is what we're famous for. It's a really intimidating recipe. I understand our recipes are hard, but I don't want people to be scared of trying them. It is fun. We're not splitting an atom. You're making buttercream. You can do this. ...The first time I made it, I messed it up because I was so nervous. You know what makes good buttercream? Practice.

Q. What is the appeal of cupcakes? Is it a trend?

A. At this point, it's really a genre. It is individually portioned dessert....The first time I saw a cupcake store, I thought it was the smartest thing I'd ever seen. I can buy a little one for myself, because you know what happens when I buy a whole cake? I eat the whole thing in one night.

Q. Current flavor inspiration?

A. Oh boy. Right now, butternut spice is my favorite. I love butternut squash, and I don't think people use it enough in cakes. There's a smokiness and deep quality pumpkin has, but butternut squash is so light and delicate and delicious. It doesn't get enough credit.

My kids love the Brooklyn Blackout: chocolate, chocolate, chocolate. That and Tres Leches; if I don't put those on the menu once a month, I get angry letters.

Q. How many flavors of cupcakes do you have?

A. We have something close to 400 flavors. We have limitless imaginations and ingredients. Our first date was to Brighton Beach. We'd shop grocery stores by picking things we couldn't pronounce, then go home and cook with them.

Q. What do bakers need to know about ingredients?

A. For flour, you've got to make sure the flour is unbleached. You have to read ingredients in everything. People are just sneaking things in. I remember buying a bag of flour, and the cake was not coming out right. I read the bag, and the flour was treated with benzoyl peroxide. That's what you treat a zit with. We only use real ingredients. They work better.

White chocolate, we do use a little in this book, but I remember sending out someone to buy white chocolate, and they gave me white coating chips. People see these in candy-making stores. It doesn't taste like chocolate. It doesn't have cocoa butter. It is sugar, filler, palm oil. White chocolate, the first ingredient should be cocoa butter. If you don't see cocoa butter on the label, it's not white chocolate.

Q. Any tips for freezing or baking for the holidays?

A. Cupcakes freeze really well, at least ours do. We design the recipes with liquid fat to coat the granules, creating a tender crumb. Make sure you're freezing in an airtight container, because fat sucks up odors. So don't keep fish heads and cupcakes in the freezer at the same time.

You can also bake in components. Say you have enough batter for 24 cupcakes. You can freeze cake batter pretty well. I like keeping it in the fridge and baking things off during the week. I also make pancakes out of it. It's not good for you, but I do it. I've even told people, you don't have to make it all cupcakes. You can make the 12 you want and put the rest in a loaf pan. We do that.